The Intelligence from The Economist

Autocrat v bureaucrat: Turkey’s crucial vote

<p>It is probably this year’s most important election—and for the first time in a long time, the country’s strongman leader has a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/05/10/a-former-bureaucrat-is-giving-erdogan-a-run-for-his-money?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plausible adversary</a>. Our correspondent heads along to the Hollywood <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/28/hollywoods-writers-go-on-strike?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">writers’ strike</a>, finding an age-old conflict centred on the technologies that shape the film-and-television industry. And the books to read to <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2022/10/25/what-to-read-to-make-and-drink-better-cocktails?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">become a better home bartender</a>.</p><br><p>Take our listener survey at <a href="https://www.economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><br><p>And for full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="https://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A scratch in the Teflon: Trump’s sexual-battery loss

<p>A jury unanimously found Donald Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. We examine his <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/05/10/a-jury-unanimously-finds-donald-trump-liable-for-sexual-assault?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first major legal loss</a>. Thailand’s opposition looks <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/05/04/the-opposition-looks-set-to-win-thailands-election?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">set to prevail</a> in this weekend’s election—whether it ends up in office is another matter. And, Ukraine is blowing up tanks, but not in the way you might think; we explore the battlefield value of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/17/how-ukraine-is-using-fake-tanks-and-guns-to-confuse-the-russians?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inflatable decoys</a>.</p><br><p>Take our listener survey at <a href="https://www.economist.com/intelligencesurvey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligencesurvey</a></p><br><p>And for full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="https://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Ukraine 2.0: a revealing visit to Kyiv

<p>Our Russia and defence editors travelled to the capital, finding a city largely back to normal. They ask both civilians and the country’s top brass about <a href="https://www.economist.com/ukraine-crisis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ukraine's position</a>—and its future. China’s population-control measures worked perhaps too well, yet even an incipient <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/05/04/china-needs-foreign-workers-so-why-wont-it-embrace-immigration?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">labour-market crisis</a> is not changing resistance to immigration. And the issues with America’s springtime <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/05/04/the-fun-and-the-fury-of-a-rattlesnake-derby?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rattlesnake round-ups</a>.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Good, bad and ugly: the Taliban and Afghanistan

<p>Their return to rule is unequivocally bad for the country’s women and girls. But wholesale collapse has not come and some aspects of government have <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/05/01/life-under-the-rule-of-the-taliban-20?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">improved</a>; it turns out threats of grotesque violence change behaviours. We investigate the curious case of Morocco’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/04/14/the-mystery-of-moroccos-missing-king?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">absent king</a>—and his unlikely mixed-martial-artist pals. And how the mobile phone has <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/04/28/mobile-phones-have-shaped-cinema-for-half-a-century?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shaped cinema</a> for half a century.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Another season of the crown: the coronation of Charles III

<p>He has been king since September; now it is time for <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/05/04/britain-readies-to-crown-charles-iii-as-its-new-king?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the pomp</a>. We examine the modern monarchy—and the ancient frippery of coronations. Despite prior reluctance to do much about climate change, America is set to become a <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/05/americas-chance-to-become-a-clean-energy-superpower?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clean-energy superpower</a>. And reflecting on the life of <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/05/04/carolyn-bryants-was-the-testimony-that-doomed-emmett-till?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Carolyn Bryant</a>, whose testimony led to a lynching that set off America’s civil-rights movement.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Difference between right and Ron: DeSantis miscalculates

<p>Florida’s governor has made a headline-grabbing rightward lurch as part of a presumed bid for the White House. But both Mr DeSantis’s critics and his donors are starting to think he has <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/30/ron-desantiss-rightward-lurch-hurts-his-presidential-chances?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">overplayed his hand</a>. Our correspondent finds that jihadist violence has, as was long feared, <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/04/27/rampant-jihadists-are-spreading-chaos-and-misery-in-the-sahel?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">come to Burkina Faso</a>. And rural America’s love affair with Japan’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/20/rural-americans-are-importing-tiny-japanese-pickup-trucks?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tiny Kei trucks</a>.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Another think coming? An AI pioneer steps down

<p>Geoffrey Hinton, a legend of artificial-intelligence research, wants to be able to speak his mind about <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/04/20/how-to-worry-wisely-about-artificial-intelligence?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the technology’s risks</a>. We ask whether those steeped in a field are best-placed to judge it. It has long been clear Ukraine needs more fighter jets; we look at the ones <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/23/ukraines-top-guns-need-new-jets-to-win-the-war?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">it may get</a> at last. And the first video game <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/04/19/a-new-video-game-educates-young-people-about-the-holocaust?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">about the Holocaust</a>. </p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Re-route of all evil: transnational crime and Ukraine’s war

<p>Criminal networks <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/04/24/how-the-war-split-the-mafia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">have had to reorganise</a> since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with knock-on effects from Afghanistan to the Andes. We take a look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/04/13/many-thousands-of-africans-have-disappeared-in-conflict?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scourge of abductions</a> in Nigeria, and what is being done for the families of the missing. And Scotland’s Campbeltown whisky is enjoying <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/04/24/how-campbeltown-has-responded-to-the-boom-in-scottish-whisky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a long-awaited resurgence</a>.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Long shots: the complex nature of civil wars

<p>Climate change is stirring up <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/04/17/the-worlds-deadliest-war-last-year-wasnt-in-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">internecine conflicts</a>, criminality is making them longer, and cross-border contagion is complicating matters further. We explain why civil wars are so hard to resolve. Japanese carmakers’ dominance of the automobile industry could be at risk if they don’t catch up in <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/04/16/how-japan-is-losing-the-global-electric-vehicle-race?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the race for EVs</a>. And, a tribute to musician and civil-rights campaigner, <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/04/26/harry-belafonte-delighted-and-challenged-a-divided-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry Belafonte</a>.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Without reserves: Bolivia faces an economic crisis

<p>AS A GAS // As a gas producer, the state was able to build up enormous reserves. But failing to pivot when global prices fell has created debt, a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/04/18/bolivia-is-on-the-brink-of-an-economic-crisis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dollar shortage</a> and rampant panic. The <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/04/13/what-luxury-stocks-say-about-the-new-cold-war?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exposure of Western companies</a> to China suggests both poles are closer than politics suggests. And, the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/04/21/how-napoli-are-shaking-up-italian-football?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Italian team</a> upsetting the status quo of European football.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Rising Starmer: An interview with Britain’s opposition leader

<p>As the country prepares to go to the polls next year, The Economist sits down with the leader of the Labour Party. Could <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/04/26/sir-keir-starmer-on-starmerism?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sir Keir Starmer’s agenda</a> revive the UK economy? Our data-driven analysis on <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/18/abortions-have-become-6-rarer-since-the-end-of-roe-v-wade?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the women</a> most affected by the overturning of Roe v Wade. And, <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/02/06/what-to-read-by-and-about-iranian-women?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">five books</a> that illustrate the plights of Iranian women</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

One Good Term Deserves Another: Biden Declares

<p>He made the same <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/04/25/joe-biden-fires-the-starting-gun-on-the-presidential-race?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announcement</a> on the same day four years ago and went on to win. But this time, the President is older and less popular. Could he be elected again? The rollout of a new <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/04/13/communist-party-members-must-study-xi-jinpings-thinking?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">education campaign</a> in China shows just how much control Xi Jinping has. And, a deadly <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/04/12/why-so-many-russian-tanks-fall-prey-to-ukrainian-mines?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">war tactic</a> that is working well for Ukraine.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Brazilian balancing act: Lula’s foreign policy plans

<p>ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN // Attempts to maintain a neutral stance on the invasion of Ukraine, while also buddying up with China, are sending <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/04/10/brazils-foreign-policy-is-hyperactive-ambitious-and-naive?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">confusing signals</a>. Does Brazil have the heft to be a successful peace-broker? The <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/05/ukraines-gay-soldiers-fight-russia-and-for-their-rights?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gay Ukranian soldiers</a> influencing policy from the front lines. And, what your <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/04/05/an-algorithm-can-diagnose-a-cold-from-changes-in-someones-voice?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">voice</a> says about your health.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Khartoum is burning: fighting continues in Sudan

<p>Ceasefires have failed, civilians are fleeing, and there is no end in sight to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/04/20/sudan-is-sliding-towards-civil-war" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fighting</a>. We bring you an update on the escalating conflict. A <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/15/how-the-war-has-split-the-church-in-ukraine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ukrainian church</a> accused of spreading Russian propaganda is in trouble, raising questions about the limits of religious freedom. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/03/31/the-indian-premier-league-is-taking-over-global-cricket" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lucrative cricket league</a> is about to get even more so by going global. </p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Tick, Tick, Boom: SpaceX launches Starship

<p>In a historic first, the largest rocket ever assembled managed to get off the ground. But then it <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/04/20/despite-an-explosion-elon-musk-is-closer-to-his-new-space-age?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exploded midair</a>. We ask if this launch can still be called a success. Alexei Navalny is still holed up in <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/20/vladimir-putins-courts-are-stepping-up-repression?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tortuous conditions</a> in Russia and could be facing even more charges. And, a tribute to a trendsetting <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/04/20/mary-quant-launched-the-clothes-that-made-the-sixties-swing?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fashion designer</a>.</p><br><p>For a full examination of Alexei Navalny’s story so far — told by the people who know him -- search for our Russia podcast "Next Year in Moscow". Or find it here <a href="https://open.acast.com/shows/62e286a934d4d93d6587424a/episodes/economist.com/moscowpod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/moscowpod</a></p><br><p>To explore the Starship rocket's potential impact on space travel —and find out why exploding is an important part of SpaceX’s model—listen to a previous episode of our "Babbage" podcast. Find that at <a href="http://economist.com/starship-pod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/starship-pod</a> or wherever you listen</p><br><p>And, to access the print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Revolution Song: Myanmar’s unending war

<p>Deep in the mountains along the Thai border, a <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/04/17/the-worlds-deadliest-war-last-year-wasnt-in-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bloody civil war</a> rages. Our correspondent gives us rare insight into one of the world’s oldest insurgencies. New, stringent <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/04/17/the-first-big-test-of-britains-voter-id-requirements-is-imminent?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">election rules</a> will soon be tested in Britain. We ask if voters are ready. And, the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/04/13/chinese-bubble-tea-chains-go-viral-in-south-east-asia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bubble tea</a> franchise taking South-East Asia by storm.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Fighting chance: Ukraine prepares for counter-offensive

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/16/ukraines-counter-offensive-is-drawing-near?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">top-secret plan</a> to pierce Russia’s defenses and reclaim territory could unfold any day now. We ask why this moment, in particular, could prove crucial. <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/emigrants-from-a-small-corner-of-china-are-making-an-outsize-mark-abroad?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Migrants</a> from a lesser-known coastal city in China are transforming the business environment in a number of European cities. And, the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/02/02/released-50-years-ago-soylent-green-is-an-eerie-prophecy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">50-year-old film</a> that warned us about the state of the world today. </p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A cut above the West: America’s astounding economy

<p>Contrary to the groaning of both Republicans and Democrats, the economy is still the <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/04/13/from-strength-to-strength?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">world’s largest</a>. How has this success been sustained? We ask why choosing the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/04/03/was-your-degree-really-worth-it?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrong degree</a> could leave you worse off than if you had never bothered at all. And our correspondent’s picks of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/02/24/seven-books-you-are-forbidden-from-reading?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">books</a> that have been banned.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A tough transition: unrest in Sudan

<p>Clashes in Khartoum have turned deadly as two rival military factions <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/04/16/khartoum-has-exploded-into-open-warfare?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fight</a> for power. As the conflict escalates, a transition to civilian rule could be in jeopardy. Europe’s cities have a worrying <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/13/how-europe-is-spluttering-its-way-to-better-air-quality?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pollution problem</a> and clearing the air is proving difficult. And a new <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/04/11/a-different-way-to-measure-the-climate-impact-of-food?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">way to measure</a> the environmental impact of food.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Never-ending storeys: rebuilding Turkey

<p>It will be years until the country recovers from February’s devastating earthquakes—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/13/recovery-from-turkeys-earthquake-will-take-years?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">progress</a> toward that goal will determine whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins another mandate next month. Oft-overlooked data suggest that Africa’s baby boom is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/04/05/the-worlds-peak-population-may-be-smaller-than-expected?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slowing</a>, in a “demographic transition” the world has seen before. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/04/12/traute-lafrenz-showed-that-resistance-to-the-nazis-was-possible?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Traute Lafrenz</a>, the last leafleter of the “White Rose” Nazi resistance.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Make the world’s money go ‘round: a bunged-up IMF

<p>The International Monetary Fund is sitting on oodles of cash, but failing to disburse it. We examine why China’s lending practices are putting the IMF on <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/04/05/how-to-fix-the-international-monetary-fund?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a path to irrelevance</a>. Climate change is already <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/04/05/crazy-policies-and-climate-change-are-hurting-latin-american-agriculture?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">squeezing farmers</a> in Latin America; some outright crazy agricultural policies are making matters worse. And reasons not to ban a well-known workplace species: the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/03/30/a-zero-tolerance-approach-to-talented-jerks-in-the-workplace-is-risky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">talented jerk</a>”.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

File-sharing: America’s huge intelligence leak

<p>A trove of once-secret <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/10/a-leak-of-files-could-be-americas-worst-intelligence-breach-in-a-decade?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">documents</a> is proving an embarrassment to both America and its allies, and a danger to Ukraine’s planned counter-offensive. The tech industry is shedding workers at a striking pace; we ask where all those laid-off experts <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/03/27/where-have-all-the-laid-off-tech-workers-gone?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">are going</a>. And more evidence that suggests pet ownership <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/03/29/more-evidence-that-animals-reduce-childhood-allergies?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduces childhood allergies</a>.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Hard pact to follow: the Good Friday Agreement at 25

<p>The famed power-sharing deal did its work of sharply reducing sectarian violence, but a quarter-century on it has led to depressingly <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/04/05/thanks-to-the-belfast-agreement-northern-ireland-is-a-better-place?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dysfunctional politics</a>. The next generation of vaccines is <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/02/16/vaccines-based-on-mrna-need-to-get-out-of-the-freezer?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">already on the way</a>—and the first thing to do is get them out of the freezer. And why the long-frothy market for works by Pablo Picasso may at last be <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/03/30/the-market-for-picassos-may-be-about-to-turn?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cooling</a>.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Home economics: housing markets’ future

<p>Many people think that with inflation and interest-rate rises abating, the worst effects on housing markets might be over. <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/04/02/the-rich-worlds-housing-crunch-is-far-from-over?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Not so fast</a>. A study that reignited mask-wearing debates really should not have: there are simply <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/04/04/a-new-study-of-studies-reignites-controversy-over-mask-mandates?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">not enough good data</a> to prove either side’s case. And an immersive, participatory production of “Guys and Dolls” <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/03/23/a-bold-guys-and-dolls-holds-lessons-for-the-future-of-theatre?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shows the way</a> ahead for live-entertainment industries.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Space invaded: video games’ stunning growth

<p>These days the gaming industry takes in much more than the global cinema box office. We ask how things are changing, from gamers’ demographics to the games’ content. And a year after our last conversation with Dmytro, a heartsick resident of the besieged Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, we check back in to see how he has been.</p><br><p><em>Additional music courtesy of </em><a href="https://sabrepulse.bandcamp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Sabrepulse</em></a><em>. </em></p><p><em><span class="ql-cursor"></span></em>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Situation reporter: Evan Gershkovich’s detention

<p>Russia’s arrest of a <em>Wall Street Journal</em> correspondent is heading toward a diplomatic<a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/04/05/calls-for-russia-to-free-evan-gershkovich-fall-on-deaf-ears?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> crisis</a>—and will certainly chill foreign reporting in the country. It is <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/03/16/theft-from-americas-anti-poverty-programmes-seems-troublingly-easy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">startlingly easy</a> to siphon money out of America’s social-welfare programmes, but devilishly difficult to thwart those efforts without threatening needy families. And ChatGPT may make things up, but it does so <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/03/29/chatgpt-is-a-marvel-of-multilingualism?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fluently</a> in more than 50 languages.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Arraigning on his parade: the charges against Donald Trump

<p>Perhaps the only surprising thing about the former president’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/04/04/what-americas-friends-should-make-of-the-trump-show?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">arraignment</a> was that it was not followed by big demonstrations—but he did take to the airwaves to seethe. A <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/03/30/how-to-fix-the-global-rice-crisis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">global rice crisis</a> is brewing; the world’s most important crop is fuelling both climate change and diabetes. And what connects leased pandas in America and <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/03/23/chinese-nationalists-are-up-in-arms-over-the-treatment-of-pandas?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chinese nationalists’ anger</a>.</p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

What he wants, what Xi wants: Macron in China

<p>On his visit to Beijing Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, has much to balance: his peacemaking ways, a more hawkish travel partner and the commercial interests of his delegation of business leaders. What will result? We ask what is being done to avoid a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/03/21/north-koreans-are-at-growing-risk-of-starvation?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">looming famine</a> in North Korea. And why baseball is getting <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/03/24/major-league-baseball-sheds-its-conservatism-and-embraces-fun?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">speedier and more action-packed</a> this season. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Get-rich-quick scheming: India and Indonesia

<p>There are similarities between the two economies set to be the fastest-growing this year—but their <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/03/29/which-will-grow-faster-india-or-indonesia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">paths to greater prosperity</a> will not look like those that came before. One of Australia’s most important river systems is in trouble, and a logjam of millions of dead fish is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/03/23/millions-of-dead-fish-are-washing-up-in-australia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">just one sign</a>. And what to do with the abandoned <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/03/30/what-to-do-with-russias-abandoned-luxury-yachts?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">luxury yachts</a> of Russia’s super-rich.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Charge d’affair: Donald Trump indicted

<p>For the first time in history, a former American president <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/03/30/prosecuting-donald-trump-in-the-stormy-daniels-case-looks-like-a-mistake?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">faces arrest</a>. Mr. Trump denies the charges, but what could this mean for the 2024 presidential election? Burgeoning “<a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/03/09/the-growth-of-africas-towns-and-small-cities-is-transforming-the-continent?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">second cities</a>” in Africa are changing the face of urbanization on the continent. And a look at the vital yet underappreciated stars of broadcast sport: <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/03/17/commentators-are-underrated-sporting-heroes?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the commentators</a>. </p><br><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><br><p><br></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>